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What: This trademark NOLA cocktail—named for the French cognac Sazerac de Forge et Fils that was once its main ingredient—combines rye whiskey or bourbon with a bit of simple syrup and native Peychaud’s bitters (which gives it its bright pink hue) in a glass that’s been coated with Herbsaint, a local anise-flavored liqueur and one-time absinthe substitute. It is alleged that the inventor of the bitters, a pharmacist named Antoine Amédée Peychaud, created this cocktail, or at least a precursor to it, when he began serving his friends a mix of brandy and bitters in an egg cup around 1838. (Some bartenders today add Angostura bitters, too, which may very well have Mr. Peychaud rolling in his grave.) Potent, old-fashioned, and classic, it is usually served straight up with a lemon twist.

Where: There are plenty of classy bars in which to drink a well-crafted Sazerac. We enjoyed one in Hermes Bar (725 St. Louis St.) at Antoine’s—it seemed fitting to sip a Sazerac in historic French Quarter surrounds.

When: Hermes Bar is open daily, 11am-“till.” Happy hour is Mon-Sat, 4pm-8pm.

Alternatively: Other great bars for Sazeracs include the swanky Sazerac Bar (123 Baronne St., map) in the renovated Roosevelt Hotel, just outside of the French Quarter; the cool Carousel Bar (214 Royale St., map) in the Quarter’s Hotel Monteleone, which features a slowly rotating carousel for a bar; and Arnaud’s French 75 (813 Bienville St., map) cigar bar, also in the French Quarter (P.S. try the namesake cocktail there, too).